McCarthy not concerned about Nelson, injuries

Aug. 6, 2013

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Wide receiver Jordy Nelson had knee surgery Monday and will miss the rest of training camp. The Green Bay Packers hope he will return for the regular season opener on Sept. 8 / Lukas Keapproth/Press Gazette Media

The team hopes he will be ready for the regular-season opener against the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 8.

According to ESPN, Nelson had surgery to correct a nerve issue in a knee that has bothered him since his college days at Kansas State. It’s the same procedure fellow receiver James Jones underwent in the past.

Nelson, 28, did not practice on Friday and missed the team’s scrimmage on Saturday.

The 6-foot-3, 217-pound Nelson has dealt with a series of injuries since his breakout season in 2011, when he set career highs in receptions (68), yards (1,263) and touchdowns (15) while playing in all 16 games.

Nelson missed four games last season and parts of others with an assortment of lower body injuries. He finished the season with 49 catches for 745 yards and seven TDs.

“Fortunately with Jordy, his particular thing that we had go and fix is something that we have some experience with with some other guys here,” Packers general manager Ted Thompson said. “So, we think we can predict about the way it’ll go, but you never know.”

Nelson’s injury is the latest blow to a team that likely has lost offensive lineman Bryan Bulaga to a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Along with those two, running back Alex Green (knee), tight end Ryan Taylor (knee) and defensive end Datone Jones (illness) missed practice on Tuesday. Wide receiver Randall Cobb (bicep) and defensive tackle (cramps) both left practice.

“Well, injury prevention, everybody talks about it and everybody does everything you can to try to decrease it but as far as where we are today in training camp compared to years in the past, the health of our football team is better,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “To me, that tells me the adjustments, some of the changes … it’s working. These type of injuries, they’re part of the game. The game of football, especially pro football, stops for nobody. You keep playing and if you ever stop and blink, you’re two steps behind your opponent.”